Appendicitis Specialist

Advanced Surgical of North Texas

General Surgery located in McKinney, TX

The jury has long been out when it comes to the role of your appendix, but the verdict is unanimous that when it becomes inflamed, you need to have it removed. For patients in McKinney, Texas, the team at Advanced Surgical of North Texas offers appendectomies using the latest surgical techniques for safe and quick removal of the infected organ. If you suspect you might have appendicitis, call the office or book an appointment online.

Appendicitis Q & A

What are the signs of appendicitis?

Appendicitis largely strikes young adults in their teens and 20s and occurs in 5% of the population in the United States. This condition develops when the appendix – a small tube attached to the large intestine – becomes infected and inflamed.

This is a potentially life-threatening medical issue, because if the appendix bursts, it can send infectious material into the body. And with appendicitis, it’s usually a matter of when, not if, the appendix bursts, making quick surgical intervention paramount.

The most common signs of appendicitis include:

Abdominal pain

Fever

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal swelling

Constipation and gas

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s imperative that you call the team at Advanced Surgical of North Texas right away or get to the emergency room.

To determine whether it’s appendicitis, the doctor runs some quick tests, including blood and urine analyses, and uses advanced imaging to take a look at what’s going on inside.

When is an appendectomy required?

As stated above, in most cases of appendicitis, immediate removal – called an appendectomy – is required to avoid serious complications. In rare cases, appendicitis is treated with antibiotics, but since you can function perfectly well without your appendix, most surgeons prefer to remove it.

How is the appendectomy performed?

If you or a loved one needs to have an appendectomy, your provider at Advanced Surgical of North Texas can remove the appendix laparoscopically. That means they make only a few tiny incisions in your abdomen to thread a lighted camera through to view the area. Again, using only small instruments, they can remove the appendix.

Your provider at Advanced Surgical of North Texas performs the surgery using general anesthesia, and the recovery time varies depending upon the extent of the procedure and whether the appendix ruptured, requiring your doctor to clean out the abdominal cavity as well.

You should count on spending a night or two at the hospital so that your doctor can monitor you and check that the infection is cleared.

If you’re experiencing abdominal pain and suspect it may be appendicitis, don’t wait to call Advanced Surgical of North Texas. The sooner the team can diagnose and treat your appendicitis, the better.